Team Columbias Mark Cavendish blasted to a first stage win in the Tour de France on Wednesdays stage from Cholet to Chateauroux. The 23-year-old Briton finished over a bike length ahead of three-times World Champion Oscar Freire of Spain, with German Erik Zabel in third.

It was Cavendish eighth road-race win of 2008 and 19th road-race victory of his career. In a remarkable year so far for Team Columbia, Cavendish win is the 46th of 2008 for the mens team.

This is far and away the biggest win of my career. Cavendish said afterwards.

Everyone knows what the Tour is, when youre a kid you watch it on tv, you dream of being there. Ive always known how important the Tour is.

Strongly supported by all eight Columbia team-mates in the frantic finale, Cavendish said their hard work shows just how self-sacrificing they are.

They did everything they could do to help me there, and I had to do my best to pay them back and win.

Theyve worked with total commitment all week. Today we had to top the podium. I couldnt really come away without the victory.

Although Olympic ambitions are high on Cavendishs list of priorities this year, he is adamant that he has no plans to abandon.

I want to go all the way to Paris. To plan to do otherwise would be disrespectful to the organisers, my team, the other riders and the race.

Discussing the teams role in the finale, Cavendish said that German team-mate Gerald Ciolek led me out from 600 metres. Thats a long way to go in the headwind, but you saw how fast he went past the other guys.

Then when [rival rider Mark] Renshaw went with [sprinter Thor Hushovd] with 250 metres to that was a bit early in the sprint for me to accelerate.

But after Renshaw had given Hushovd a good lead-out then my own final acceleration would have been less efficent if I had waited for my usual distance.

So I had to go for it when they did.Fortunately my strength was enough to take me all the way to the line. I was able to hold it all the way there and it all paid off.